ApplecoreA-Z Insanies Book 1
by StoriesOfStuff
Summary: Applecore was once a normal apprentice with a happy life and a great mentor. When she was a kit, she met a certain cat by the name of Flightkit, and everything changed.
1. Prologue

The star-speckled cat padded down to the others, the grass swaying and bright white from the moon. Her silver pelt moved with her sharp muscles as she bounded down to the hollow.

"Lightedstar," she called out into the night sky. There was a meow of reply and a sandy she-cat bounded across the clearing, slowing down and stopping in front of the silver cat. She flicked her tail.

"Yes, Dewshine?"

Dewshine cleared her throat, her chest heaving with breaths from the long run. "The prophecy; it has begun." Her eyes focused in the other she-cat's, and she raised a paw.

Lightedstar's eyes widened. "It has? But it's so soon." Her silky fur ruffled up, and she grit her teeth. How did it start so soon? "Who is the first?"

Dewshine spun around, beginning to pad away. "I'll show you." Lightedstar chased after her once Dewshine accelerated, and they swiveled around a large clump of trees, arriving at StarClan's Moonpool.

As Lightedstar climbed up onto the rock and letting out a signaling yowl, more StarClan warriors began to creep through the underbrush, while some darted through the barrier, all of them meowing curiously.

Lightedstar silenced them by calling, "Cats of StarClan, I have summoned you to announce that the prophecy has begun." Her face dipped down and the starlit water shone ripples across her visage. The StarClan cats wordlessly glanced up at the fallen leader, and a darkness fell around the enlarged group, making the pond illuminate lighter.

The water showed a young sandy orange she-cat playing with her raven friend, both tumbling and giggling, the raven one not as much.

"It's _her?_" a cat whispered. Lightedstar dipped her head in a nod, sitting up and kneading the rock.

"Yes, it's her. We just don't know what she's capable of." She stood and backed away from the pond, turning and pacing away, her star-speckled pelt rippling. The darkness vanished. Her tail flicked impatiently.

Dewshine matched the leader's pace. "Lightedstar, would you like me to send a sign?" Dewshine muttered in her ear.

"Yes." Lightedstar paused, thinking of a sign or prophecy silently. "Make apples fall and crush a mouse." She sped up, not glancing back at the stopped silver she-cat. "They will get it."


	2. Chapter 1: The Beginning

Applekit bounded onto her friend, Glosskit, and let out a purr of excitement. "Got you!" she squeaked out. Glosskit grumbled, flicking her ear.

"Get off me!" the other kit garbled after trying to roll over, squeeze from Applekit's grip, something to let her free. Applekit refused, knawing on her friend's ear. Glosskit hissed and flailed, making Applekit give in and barrel off of her. Applekit sat down and grazed her tongue across her paw.

"You're no fun," she pouted, swaying her tail excitingly and flicking her paw. Applekit had absolutely nothing to be angry at; tomorrow was her apprentice ceremony! Glosskit wasn't as excited, hers was about half a moon from that cold LeafFall day. Applekit watched, a lopsided smile on her face, as the younger black kit struggled to her paws, sticking out her tail to gain balance. "You could've just asked politely for me to get off."

"Well, last time I did, I got knocked over!" Her blue eyes burned hot into Applekit's green. Applekit purred, bounding across the clearing to the far side, sitting next to the packed fresh-kill pile, glancing hungrily at a sparrow. ThunderClan was lucky, they had a good GreenLeaf, and LeafFall was promising good hopes, due to the massive amount of prey found in the twoleg's GreenLeaf spot. Cats were chirping comments and conversations to each other, sitting on rocks or grass. Some were sharing tongues in the clearing, or just walking about.

Applekit pawed at the sparrow. "Hey, Longface?" A white, long-muzzled warrior lifted his head from the mouse he ate next to the pile, licking at his whiskers. "Can I have this sparrow?"

"Of course," he cooed, lowering his head again and desperately biting at the last of the meat clinging onto the bones of the rodent. Applekit purred, snatching the sparrow with her fangs and yanking from the top of the pile, scarfing it down.

As soon as Applekit finished her sparrow, she heard the loud call of a bird, three squeaky tweets, near the camp. She flicked her gaze to the sound and saw the brown finch perching atop the lowest branch of the oak. It was hopping around, chirping, and swiping his beak against the bark. Before she could even start pacing over to stalk the bird, a sandy warrior gracefully leapt up on the branch, grappling the bird with her fangs, and slid off, all in only a short few seconds, padding down to the clearing with the finch hanging lifelessly from her jaws.

It was Cheetahspots who made the kill. Cheetahspots was a wounded warrior with only one ear; the other was ripped away by a fox, the remains of it scruffy and pink from the skin. Her thin, sandy body was spotted with black, and her wide eyes were a sea-foam green. The she-cat was Applekit's aunt.

She purred and padded next to Applekit, spitting the bird out on the pile, taking her seat and wiggling her behind. "Hey, Applekit," she grinned, her tail brushing across the dirt. She cuffed the creamy orange kit's ear to make her flinch. "How's it going?"

"Pretty good," Applekit replied cheerily, turning her head away from the she-cat and smiling. Applekit was a large kit, with orange fur and a creamy orange spot around her left eye. Her body was more like her father's: brawn and lean. She blinked her emerald eyes at Cheetahspots.

"Are you excited for tomorrow?" Cheetahspots breathlessly asked.

"Oh yeah!" Applekit and Cheetahspots purred, kneading the ground with their wide paws. The two chatted about how pretty the leaves looked, and how they reminded Cheetahspots of Applekit. Applekit garbled on about the day and how it was so much fun and lively.

They were joined soon by the white warrior that she asked for the sparrow, Longface.

"Hey, Applekit, Cheetahspots," he greeted, flopping down beside Applekit so she was between both the warriors. His brown gaze fell upon Applekit.

Longface was like her uncle, he was always there and they were best friends. By the time she was born until then, they had grown very close. "Nice day, huh?" Cheetahspots lopsidedly grinned and tilted her head to look at Longface. Longface grunted in agreement.

The conversation went on and on until the sun was high above them. "Hey, I need to go," Longface said, standing up and brushing his tail across Applekit's ear. "I'm on sunhigh hunting patrol." Longface wasn't the best hunter. He could climb trees to catch squirrels in a short period of time, though. He was thin, but his white pelt shimmered with muscle. He had a long muzzle good for biting.

Applekit stood once Longface arrived at the tunnel, and waved her tail good-bye to Cheetahspots, who had realized she had hunting patrol as well.

She slipped into the nursery and saw the creamy orange she-cat sprawled across the ground, her chest rising and lowering to her sleepy breath.

"Hi, Mother," Applekit muttered, laying into her mother's side. The mother moaned a hello. Applekit rolled her eyes. Looked like she wasn't going to talk very much.

She got to her paws and left the nursery. Maybe she could just see what Specklenight was up to?

The kit entered the medicine cat den, watching the black she-cat with a white chest and white paws murmur to Vixenpaw, her adventurous apprentice. "Whatcha guys doing?" Applekit called out, sitting at the entrance and feeling the sun beat down on her back.

Specklenight swerved her head, her crystal blue eyes full of wisdom. "Oh, hello, Applekit. We're just training." She held a borage leaf under the apprentice's small nose, and she took a long sniff. Vixenpaw was the blind cat of the clan, but she was also full of strategic ideas. Poor thing she was a medicine cat.

"Borage," she answered quietly, opening her green eyes. Vixenpaw hadn't any markings other than a black paw and tail, and bright orange fur. Specklenight replied with positive feedback, and gave her some more herbs to sniff.

Applekit thought that this was getting boring.

The rest of the day was a boring blur, with nothing to do other than play with the other kits (she turned out to be the leader of ShadowClan in their game). Once the sun faded a red and pink glow on the clan, she retreated to the nursery, calling out her good-nights to the warriors and kits. Her mother, Risingsun, followed her inside. Applekit's sister and brother followed inside as well. The trio curled up next to Risingsun, wishing each other sweet dreams.

Applekit was covered by a wave of black very soon, and the last thing she saw was eyes.

Applekit woke up in a forest, a very dark one, alone, with no sound at all, even when she stumbled to her paws. Everything was still and had an evil aura clinging to it. "Hello?" Applekit called out, only to be answered by her endless echoes.

The bush rattled behind her, and she swiveled on her paws to face it. Standing there was a young snowy white kit with bright amber eyes.

"Hello," the kit muttered. It sounded like echoes hid inside her voice. Applekit's breath hitched as soon as the little one, so slowly and quietly, mewed "Welcome to the Dark Forest."

Applekit's eyes widened in disbelief. "Wha- No, the Dark Forest isn't real!" She backed up, only to bump into a tree. The kit practically floated over to the other, her face clean of expression other than boredom.

"Oh, yes, it is, Applekit." She blinked slowly, raising her muzzle so both of theirs were almost touching. "I am Flightkit. I will be your guidance through life, like your second mentor." Her voice was high-pitched, so she sounded... Like... A bug that was a mentor. What? It's hard to make these kinds of similes in Warrior cats.

She shook her head. "No, you won't. You're just a kit."

"Oh, I'm much more than a kit." She stopped, her tail flicking, and she slightly turned her head to glance at Applekit. "Do you know how I died?"

"No, and I don't want to know, can I just go home?"

"I died from my own Clan. They killed me." Applekit began to pad towards the white kit, her ears folding back. Why would anyone break the code? Now she was getting curious and wanted to stay so she could ask questions.

She gulped. "Who would do this to you?" A tingling feeling shot through her body when their eyes met, Flightkit turning around.

"His name was Cavebound." She paused, examining Applekit through lazy eyelids. Her echoey voice sounded normal now. "He killed me in front of everyone. But, did anyone kill him? No. No one even cared," she snapped.

"Why... Why are you telling me this?"

The kit paused once more, the same flat expression on her face slowly becoming a wicked smile. Her tail raised. "One word: revenge." She swerved on her paws, padding back towards the bush whence she came.

"Wait, no, please! Tell me what you mean!" Applekit called to Flightkit, bounding after her.

Applekit jerked awake, the sun filtering the empty nursery. Her family had left the den, and there was a busy commotion outside, the deputy was probably setting up patrols or something.

She stretched widely, and slipped out. The sun was always rose on the nursery side of the clan, so she padded to the middle of the clearing and turned, glancing at the sun right above the HighRock. The clearing wasn't as busy as imagined, there were three cats gathered next to the fresh kill pile. Two of them just shared tongues in the clearing. She examined above the rim of the hollow to see the orange and yellow leaved bleed through the blue sky.

She glanced back down, and one question raced through her mind, making her ears fold back:

Who is Flightkit?


End file.
